The Yule Redux
by Stellata
Summary: Maybe the night of the Yule Ball wasn't ruined after all... Hermione/Viktor oneshot.


Disclaimer: Sadly not mine. A girl can dream, though...

It had started as the best evening of her life.

She had seen the admiring gazes as she descended the stairs. Four hours of work on her hair and make-up had paid off. Half the girls had wanted to be her, and more than half of the guys had wanted her on their arm.

Viktor was the perfect gentleman. He was an excellent dancer, and she felt safe and yet strong in his arms. He had undisguised want in his eyes, but he had not tried to force anything on her. A few chaste kisses on her cheek – and they had made her entire body tingle.

She was wanted. Not for her mind – although she knew he admired her for that, after all, their whole relationship had started after several academic arguments in the library. Certainly not just for her help with homework – no, Viktor wasn't Ron... He was a man. Seventeen and a half to her fifteen years of age... But that wasn't terrible. She was mature for her age. She was tired of boys, and now she had a man of her own.

He doted on her. He was devoted to Quidditch, but he did not insist on talking about it every second of the day, as Ron and Harry did. He was her intellectual equal. He had read every article of the last Transfiguration Times, her favorite biweekly magazine.

He knew what he wanted to do for the future. In fifteen years, he would retire from Quidditch. He wanted to open up an international school for the most talented witches and wizards, aged fourteen to eighteen. He wanted to educate the greatest minds. He was a dreamer, yet practical. He even agreed with her that house elves shouldn't be slaves! It was so easy to like him.

He was tall, and quite handsome. His smile was contagious, and dark eyes that offered her a variety of emotions. His face was chiseled perfectly for her hands to caress – although she hadn't yet. His body was firm and strong against hers. His hands were large and incredibly gentle.

They had had a wonderful evening. They had danced all but three dances. Cedric had danced one with her while Krum took Cho Chang for a whirl. Cedric was a charming conversationalist, but his eyes were only for Cho. They were a lovely couple, she smiled to herself. Then there was one with Roger Davies, who had glanced a few too many times at her cleavage. She had been happy to give him back to Fleur.

She and Viktor had only sat out for one dance, to get a drink. Harry was polite and quite friendly, but Ron was positively rude – both to her and Viktor. At first she was confused, and thrown off by the rudeness of one of her first friends.

After the end of their row, she had fled upstairs to her room, tears in her eyes.

He had ignored everything she had said! Ronald Weasley _never_ listened! And Harry Potter... After all she had done for him, _always _abandoned her for Ron, no matter that Ron had abandoned Harry for the first few months of this school year. They didn't seem to care about her, or her feelings, one bit.

"Why don't they want me to be happy?" She whispered to herself. She suddenly missed Viktor.

She could go to her room and have a good cry, then pretend nothing had happened. Pretend that her evening hadn't been ruined by the obtuseness of a boy who was supposed to be her friend.

Or she could find Viktor. She could possibly salvage this evening.

After a minute of thinking, she wiped her eyes and stood up. She felt suddenly confident. A quick cleaning charm cleared off her smeared make-up. She grabbed a shawl, and went downstairs.

"You're back?" Ron sounded surprised.

"Goodbye, Ronald Weasley," she hissed at him. "I'm going to find Viktor. He cares about my feelings."

Ron and Harry both stood still, utterly stunned, as she climbed out of the portrait hole. Feeling more confident and quite triumphant, she headed downstairs, into the Entrance Hall, and out the doors.

It was dark outside, for it was almost midnight. She could hear several couples from behind bushes, getting to know each other a little better.

It only took a few minutes to reach the lake. There were several bonfires near the Lake, and many students, mostly from Durmstrang, standing by the fires, laughing and talking loudly.

"Excuse me," she spoke up. A few boys turned to look at her in curiosity.

"Have you seen Viktor?"

"He is over there," One boy pointed to another fire.

"Thank you," she said, then turned and walked to Viktor.

"That's not true!" Viktor was laughing with his friends.

"Viktor," she spoke softly, reaching to take his arm.

He turned in surprise. He met her eyes and suddenly beamed.

"You came!" She simply smiled as he reached out to hold her hands in his.

"Are you cold?" He asked in concern.

"Not anymore."

He looked hesitant for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and relaxed in the warmth of his embrace.

"Vat is wrong?" He asked softly.

She tilted her head up to look at him. He was truly concerned.

"My friends aren't as good friends as I thought they were."

"I am sorry," he said softly. One hand lifted from her back to stroke her cheek.

"You are too good for them," he said firmly. She laughed lightly.

"You think so?"

"You are the most amazing girl I 'ave ever met. You are too good for me."

"No," she said quietly, her eyes sparkling. "I think we're just right for each other."

She tilted her head further up, and parted her lips slightly. He just looked at her for a minute. Then, slowly, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her.

When he pulled away they were both breathing a little harder.

"That – that was -" She said breathlessly.

He cut her off with another kiss. A few of the other Durmstrang students chuckled and catcalled, but the kissing couple didn't hear them.

Everything but Viktor had disappeared. Worries about Harry and Ron, about her studies – completely gone. Now there was just this simple feeling.

She could feel it from her head to her toes. She didn't want to move from here ever again.

"I think I could easily fall in love with you, Hermione."

He said her name right! And best of all...

"I feel the same way," she returned happily.

As she kissed him again, she knew that it was truly the best evening of her life.


End file.
